Record Reviews

MIRNA BOGDANOVIC ~ AWAKE BERTHOLD 4250647323079 (Barcode: 4250647323079) ~ SLOVENIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Bosnian / Slovenian (resident in Berlin) vocalist / songwriter and kalimba player Mirna BogdanovicFind albums by this artist, recorded with young musicians, including keyboardist Povel WidestrandFind albums by this artist, guitarist Peter MeyerFind albums by this artist, bassist Felix HenkelhausenFind albums by this artist and drummer Philip DornbuschFind albums by this artist. Several guests and a string trio appear on selected tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, ten of which are originals by Bogdanovic and one is an arrangement of a Pop song. Seven of the tracks feature lyrics in English, and four feature wordless vocalese. The music is a wonderful example of modern Jazz, using a plethora of contemporary instrumental approaches, fresh sound and arranging originality, and compositions deeply soaked in Eastern European / Balkan musical tradition. But above all, Bogdanovic offers an astounding vocal range and technique, which is completely innovative and combined with her marvelous compositions offers a deeply moving sonic experience, which stands out high above the standard recorded output that reaches my desk. The complex, multi-layered music, adorned with the string quartet arrangements and dense instrumental performances might sound somewhat estranging at first to less experienced listeners, but reveals its depth and beauty with repeated attentive listening, which expose layer after layer of creativity and inventiveness, which exists not only in her original compositions but also in her interpretation of the only song she decided to adopt on this album. The album is a superb example of ensemble music making, with very few solo instrumental parts, but with a consistent ensemble sound, which supports the vocal parts, which in turn are in themselves more “instrument” oriented, rather than typically centered on the vocals. Such general approach is very unusual, especially these days, where vocalist like to dominate the music, rather than becoming a part of a greater whole. Bogdanovic shows a remarkable maturity herein and manages to create a true masterpiece on the way. Overall, this is a highly original, completely unique vocal Jazz album, which stands out in its beautiful aesthetics and novel conceptual approach, which might take a while to be decrypted by first-time listeners, but offers remarkable depth and maturity with repeated listening. This is definitely one of the most notable vocal albums that arrived on my desk this year and a serious contender to the top of my favorites list.

Updated: 26/05/2023Posted: 26/05/2023

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WINDISCH QUARTET ~ MEANDER FUN IN THE CHURCH 029 (Barcode: 4260437157692) ~ GERMANY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Windisch QuartetFind albums by this artist, led by German pianist / composer Julius WindischFind albums by this artist with Icelandic saxophonist Solvi KolbeinssonFind albums by this artist, German bassist Felix HenkelhausenFind albums by this artist and Austrian drummer Max SantnerFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by the leader. The quartet represents well the wonderful contemporary burgeoning Berlin Jazz scene, which in recent years became one of the main centers of young European Jazz, full of international talent, which is incredibly creative and prolific. The music on this album is a fascinating amalgam of many contemporary Jazz trends, and although based on loosely stated melodic themes, offers mostly very open almost-Free improvisations, expressed by the various exchanges between the quartet members. Windisch utilizes several keyboards, including a synthesizer, which create an interesting diversity as the music develops. Kolbeinsson adds a gentle, almost romantic side, Henkelhausen cements the entire quartet sound with his superbly intelligent and steady bass lines and finally Santner ornaments the proceedings with his often irregular drum sequences. As usual in European jazz, it is the ensemble sound that matters here, carrying the message, rather than individual soloing, although there are plenty of great statements by each of the participants. It seems that Windisch is spearheading a very personal new Jazz stream, as shown by several new recordings released almost simultaneously in the last couple of years, and that feverish activity portrays the volcanic musical energy he is able to create, which is quite phenomenal. Overall, this is a brilliant album, full of unexpected twists and turns, innovative creativity and fascinating sound-weaving, which deserve to be heard. He is certainly a musician that is worth being followed and I eagerly wait to hear him in person performing live. It certainly seems like Berlin being the place to visit more often than I managed to do in recent years. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

Updated: 01/10/2022Posted: 01/10/2022

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